I don’t often get these nice, heavy little locks in the LockLab, especially in beautiful condition like this one. Over the past several weeks several of you have asked for a “How to pick a wafer lock” video, and the H10 was the perfect opportunity. Picking wafers is very much like picking pin tumblers – you simply find the binding pin and go from there. The only difference on these double-sided wafers is that you have to pick both sides of the lock, so tensioning can be a challenge. “Picking both sides” isn’t entirely accurate… it is actually the same wafer that follows the cutouts on the key. Only one side of the wafer is active, but you never know which one, hence the picking both sides statement. After picking one side and failing to find a binder, switch to picking the opposite side – and keep alternating until you get an open. The advantage of this is that if you accidentally overset one of the wafers, you can go to the opposite of that wafer and “unset” it, giving you another chance to pick it.

Don’t be tempted to use your wafer picks on these H10s. They have a very strong spring on the core that will bend, and ultimately break your expensive wafer picks. Stick with SPPing or raking.

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The LockLab Tribe consists of engineers, artists, mechanics, fast food workers, car wash attendants, office workers, and others from all walks of life. Some are thinkers and idea guys, while other are hands-on tinkerers, but our combined knowledge is an incubator of ideas that produces results that are greater than its parts. Together we can figure out any lock puzzle and find ways to improve it. Together we can make the world more secure. Together we are: The LockLab Tribe!